Phantom Strokes Along Midnight
by moonlit flower
Summary: Naruto didn't know what to expect when his car broke down in this old dilapidated town. He didn't know that his arrival would stir an ancient form to life. He didn't know why he lusted after his new friend. But, maybe ignorance is bliss. SasuNaru.
1. Passionate Knight

Pairings: SasuNaru

Disclaimer: I don't own a lot. Costco, Home Depot, Sex Depot and Naruto among other things.

Does anyone still remember the Sex Depot suit with Home Depot? It -was- quite a while ago.

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Naruto's back hurt from pushing his car down the desolate road, as his ear hurt from hearing his cell phone repeat its shrill mantra. The sun overhead spilled its last ink into the world, throwing its swan song haphazardly into order. There hadn't been a town for miles and it had been hours since his car first sputtered. Several times the wheels veered and wound him into a near ditch. More than several times, one heavy push left him fallen in the dust. And finally, salvation came in form of a shadowed horizon of a small dim town.

It was bridging nightfall when Naruto arrived. He threw his dusty cap in the car. It landed on the backseat, mute, like this town. Yet, there were the usual background sounds of the cacophonous fairy violinist strumming their legs together, the hearty croak of some bullfrog in a marsh. The lights were all off in this town, excluding the mountain of streaked yellow electricity running from a Victorian-esque house. And then, a sharp whistle blew them all out.

He turned, ready to spend one more night in his car. Even though his watch pointed to around nine o'clock, it would be pointless to come knocking now. Things were too dead. He could wait for morning. The blonde's body protested loudly at the beaten upholstery while his mind fled to sleep along with the city.

A spring was poking into his back. Nasty thing it was. The smell of dust and good times was stifling the entire car, choking his breath. Somewhere off into the distance a rooster crowed. The sunbeams happily bounced into that orange bug. Naruto yawned, stretched and with a click led himself out of his impromptu bed. The trademark jacket he wore fell to the floor as the boy rubbed sleep residue from his eyes. It was early yet, but there may be a chance for some breakfast, and hopefully a cheap inn.

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Soft fine dust made up the road to town. The place had a quiet nursing home air too it. Something that time had remembered terribly and all to fast. Several stained houses lined the path. At the end dwelled a large oaken monstrosity.

Last night, when Dark's cloak fell, it had seemed deadened, shooting a macabre feel into one's heart but, now, as Naruto stood looking at it from the distance, it was crawling with children. Little urchins roughhousing and kicking all over the place, making it seem homier.

On the south edifice there was a tousled headed brunette reaching toward the dawn, legs clamped around one of the beams connecting to some other intricate part of the steeple roof. His fingers pushed it back a little then tugged the sunbeams into place. The light pushed back, pushing him off the roof completely, and now he tumbled forward with only screams to catch his fall.

The boy crashed to the floor, toppling over his arms. One of them were twisted at some unsightly angle, bending to the right rather than to the left. The elicited cry resounded in Naruto's head and would resound till his death day. Then, everything became a blurred mesh of vivid strands of light bobbing and weaving.

It hurt visually to watch the kid land with a teeth-grinding _crack_ on the ground. But, when he stood up wobbled a bit and ran into the house everything seemed all right. The spell grim and horrible things hold over us was a pathetic one at most, merely cemented by suspense.

Now longer fixated, Naruto shuffled to an old general store lying a few steps to his right on this talcum-y path. It was the kind of shop that had everything in one place like Home Depot and Costco combined. The shelves were somewhat barren and dusty. Not much held places on them. The entire store was unkempt and blasted with dust, even the cobwebs held mountains on them.

There was one of those old-fashioned outmoded engraved table bells reposing up on the polished counter. They seemed to be the only clean things in the store. He gave the bell a great whopping slam and was disappointed when it only offered a small solid 'thunk.'

Effects like that were weird.

A foot step- _Was it a footstep?- _tapped from the backroom. It came from a door camouflaged by being as dark as the wood surrounding it and surprised the hell out of Naruto when it opened. An old wrinkled man stepped out onto the tiles dressed in blue flannel and soiled overalls that swished and crinkled together when he walked.

"Can I help you?" Downy streaks of gray drifted over his ears as he slumped forward on the counter, staring the blonde straight in his eyes.

"Yes, my car broke down and I need a place to stay for about two weeks. Are there any hotels around here or a bed and breakfast place? And maybe a mechanic too, to look at my car."

"I don't suppose you could call anyone to come pick you up? This little thing here isn't quite that ready for visitors. Are you certain you wanna waste two weeks of youthful moral digression _here_? Speak up boy."

Naruto fidgeted anxiously with a piece of lint in his pants pocket. He didn't want to spend time in a boring place, but, with his car broken and having no one willing to pick him up until they all got back from their vacations, there was just no other choice. He nodded his head in slow acquiescence to fate.

"I reckon there would be quite a place up on the lane therein. You could ask around the tables at Mary's for the full spects', I suppose. Tell her Steven sent you", he offered.

"Thanks…I think I'll go to check it out now." And as Naruto turned around so did the old man. And if he had but curved his flaxen haired head for a final glance, Naruto would have seen the backside of an English gentleman dressed to the nines for some social function in the ton. Unfortunately, he looked too late and the man slipped behind the door with a click that spoke volumes of finality, leaving Naruto with a question on his lips.

"What the fuck is Mary's?"

Mary's turned out to be a diner around the corner in this strange town of garbled accents and old people. Which was true, oddly enough. Everyone he had seen were either touching their second childhood or having their first. And when he first entered the diner, there was nothing but a sea of elderly to meet the eye.

The place was quaint enough, not exactly sensational. What diner was?

'_It's clean too.' _

Naruto slid on a leather-cracked stool by the counter and waited. A waitress popped up behind him with notebook in hand. Her gray-white hair was piled up into a messy beehive atop her head. There were no hollows in her face, everything filled with sagging fat or wrinkles. And yet, part of her seemed like all the other waitresses droning along in the building; low deaden eyes. A polished plastic nametag shone out from the conformity of her uniform.

'_Mary, that's the woman. '_, Naruto recognized.

"Um, excuse me. Yeah, over here." He signaled the waitress over. "Hey, my name is Naruto and I…my car crashed. So, I went down the road to the genera store. Steve's?" A pause as the waitress nodded affirmation. "He told me to come over here and ask about the house up the lane. "

"I see… Well then, sit down. Here. This might take a while."

"I've all the time in the world, at least until Spring Break is over..." A wry smile was exchanged between the two.

"Ah, well there's not much to say about the house." Mary started. She twitted a strand of salt and pepper hair around a thick stubby finger. "It's in okay condition. Bit old, so you may want to watch out. I was the proprietor of this grand establishment before I gave it up to the public. Memorial-like, you know?"

"Something big happen there? Like what" Naruto leaned forward obviously intrigued. Her eyes lit up as if she was waiting for the cue of her only solo.

"You could say that, I suppose. See kid, there was _murder_ there. A lot of deaths. And it all started when this Boston man came. He bought the house and brought his two sisters and younger brother to live there. The blonde sister was a musician. She was a good woman, not like one of those rambling pale artist that can't say boo to a goose…not like her sister Sakura. Her name was Ino."

Mary paused a moment to scratch the side of her head.

"Sakura was a writer, I think. Can't really remember. _She_ had the most mincing condescending walk I ever saw. That one was born a lady, I could tell with her curled pink hair and fair skin. Never saw her outside without a parasol and she always fawned over her brother, acting like she couldn't walk on her own.

"Then the youngest one of the group. He was a looker, nicely bronzed and muscled from waiting in the open air for a pretty sight. Yeah, that one was a painter. Used to kid about painting _me_ when I was young. They were happy living there…then one by one each member of the household started dying. Without reason or rhyme. And after them rich folk were gone the killer still had an itch, I guess. 'Cause then he started picking off the towns people, good-looking ones first and them all teenagers at that. Now, some forty years down the line we younger sisters and brothers are all that's left, sweetie. Us, and the young ones that just moved here." Her eyes teared and she held a stare contest with the table for a moment.

"….Wow, that's quite a story. Are you alright?", said Naruto.

"Yeah, it's just that I lost my sister in that. She was found dead without a scratch. Not one scratch on her body like the other victims. My folks and I were grateful for that at least." With that she stood up.

"So, what'll it be for breakfast. You've got to eat breakfast." Naruto closed his mouth to protest, amazed at her bounce back time. "We've pancakes, waffles soaked in syrup, French toast snowed in with powdered sugar, eggs, sausages, extra spicy for the adventurers. Omelets to fit your every desire, biscuits smothered with gravy. And for a little sweets there's more pie than ever dreamt of and all served with a piping hot cup of coffee. The special for today would be the butterscotch pie. So what'll it be?" Mary primed up her mouth and snapped a pen and pad out from inside her pocket.

"Uh…" The torrent of menu options left the blonde temporarily speechless. "I guess... I'll have the pancakes, sausages and a piece of that butterscotch then."

Mary left the table to place the order. He hunted in his pocket for his wallet, reassuring himself that it had not fallen out during his sleep. His fingers touched the leather at the same moment a steaming plate of fluffy pancakes swimming is dribbled syrup and thick sausages on the side slid onto his table.

After an hour of slow dining, Naruto rose to pay for his meal. As he turned away from the diner, it collapsed into spider webs, decaying stone and fairy lights.

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(…) Yeah.


	2. Passionate Mourning

Passionate Mourning

Pairings: SasuNaru

Warnings: Incest; TWT

Beta-ed by: Daitai Otonashii Ookami

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Mary had told him that there were a few saplings before coming to the yard of the house. Apparently, she hadn't been there for a while. The trees were literally choking each other with their branches before finally letting up for a clearing. And what was odd though, was that she didn't seem to be the kind of person that lied. Then it all stopped and Naruto was tripping head over heels onto the front steps of a bleak feeling house.

'Hell, the damn _windows_ are grimacing.' thought the blonde.

He unlocked the front door with the key Mary gave him. The thing looked like it belonged in a museum, fitting in perfectly with the little Guardian of the House folklore printed on the display cards.

The inside the house wasn't any different, various baroque furniture pieces sporting huge curving arches and leafy spirals etched in the amber hues. Dimpled cushions lay on a velvet loveseat in the living room. At one end was a grand piano covered in gold crepe.

Purple velvet-like drapes closed off the sun and trailed their gold tassels along the floor. They rippled waving silky threads to the ghost wind let in. Another tasseled cloth rested on the mantle, and above that was a wispy painting of a tranquil lake scene.

Naruto fingered the piano for a moment before walking out into the hallway. The erotic ambiance made him feel almost predatory.

The hall was bare of furniture or paintings, just a simple corridor of more wood. He dumped his stuff into the first room with a bed and walked out to explore a little more. There were six more doors that actually had personality and a staircase leading up to the second level left on the ground floor. Each door's make matched, but the wood was different; grainy, for a deep person, veneered for elegance.

Naruto carefully choose the first one, wanting to go down the line. It was slapped with white paint and soft pink veins of under wood where the coat was thin. Inside was even brighter, the drapes were pulled back so tightly it was amazing everything wasn't bleached. But then, it is hard to bleach white.

After a minute his eyes adjusted to the glow. The blonde cussed out against the heady sunshine and groped for the drapes. Frowning, he found that it was pitch black with the drapes drawn and had to let a small sliver of tame light in which fell right smack-dab in the middle of a piano and refused to light any other part of them room.

He trailed his fingers over the white keys. It had been a long time since he last touched a piano. Naruto shivered as he remembered sitting next to a friend learning the very basics of songs with him. His fingers tapped out the first tentative notes then moved gaining speed.

_Dun Dun Dun Da Dun…_

The complete song was impossible to recall, but he could loop it. The first couple of notes brought back poignant, hazy memories. The second drew him deeper, drew the memories out of him and into the air. The room grew distant as he trailed over the third, fourth fifth notes. And pretty soon it felt like he had phased through to some sub-space as the piano played him. Electric left him and all he could feel was the unbridled feeling of the keys on his fingers and his fingers on the keys.

_Da Dun Du Dun Da…_

His hand rushed deep in the music. A note after another after ano- He forgot what came next. Fingers shaking, he tried to replay the last chords. It had slipped from his mind, but had to be somewhere. Panic rode into Naruto as he scrambled to find the note. It was stuck, stuck in his mind, stuck in that other reality were his mind wasn't a haze, stuck in the white couch of the white room he left behind, wedged between the white cushions.

'_So much pain…Pressing! It's pressing me. I'm going to be squeezed to death'_

_Di_

The moment for it came and passed sour.

The blonde could feel his heart give quick sharp beats and raised a shaking hand to his face.

'_Sweat. God, I feel like I just ran a mile. I need to find the bathroom and just what the hell is happening.'_

Finally, Naruto groaned and stumbled into the adjoining bathroom before collapsing on a sink. It felt like he just had fifty drinking days all in a row and the resulting hangover took a bus and ran him over trying to catch up. He heaved into a basin throwing up the world's best butterscotch pie and eggs. Actually, that was pretty good pie. Naruto started up and yanked the pull chain to flush the toilet; it came apart in his hand.

"Freakin' ass old toilet and this freakin' ass house and…", he muttered low and shakily. Everything went hazy for a second and that was the last he saw. But, somewhere, something unbolted its eyes from its little yellow slips of sleep and smiled.

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The cold linoleum of the bathroom floor felt sickly against the warmth of Naruto's skin. He got up walked over to the sink, letting fresh smooth water splash along the sides of his face. The blonde frowned and thought about his breakfast…what had been his breakfast and how instead of it pleasantly filling the inside of his stomach it was floating off in an ocean somewhere. His stomach growled again, and a glance at his watch told him it was half after twelve.

Naruto pushed the spikes of his hair into some semblance of fashion and sniffed his armpits. Didn't seem like he was too bad to go out and eat. The soft thuds of his steps cadenced over the rest of the house and when he locked the door with the same antedated key the structure echoed back its heartbeats. It scared him shitless.

Naruto slapped dust storms out of his pants, while waiting for his order-steak and tiny potatoes swimming in sour cream-to come, he took the chance to watch the other diners. It was near uncanny how different faces seemed to look like each other. Naruto blinked, bile rising in his throat again.

'Their faces look like they were slapped together in the dark.' He mused. 'Like a Mr. Potato Head. Potatoes…Oh God! Eating people shaped like potatoes. An Olympic-size swimming pool of sour cream. With little chive floaters around their arms. Uh. Gotta fill my stomach before I start snacking on customers. '

A jingle at the door drew him away from the pangs of his stomach. The newcomer was different. Decidedly so from any of the other town's inhabitants. He was young for one and somewhat cool Naruto decided. His skin was smooth and pale, blotchy red at the neck. He was wearing a blue cotton T-shirt and tan shorts. When he walked past Naruto, the blonde found that the angry red patches disappeared well down into his shirt. The man took a seat two away from the blonde. By then a plate a food slid down the table and Naruto nodded thankfully at the waitress.

He turned to look back at the other man and met black eyes. They were normal, other than being a little darker than usual.

"Did you just get here?", the blonde smiled. Relief washed over him when the other man smiled back and nodded. Deliverance from boredom in the form of a stranger.

"Yes. I am visiting my grandparents. Name is Sasuke."

"I'm Naruto. My car broke down, so I'm spending Spring Break here. Not enough time to get it fixed and everyone I know is too much of an ass to pick me up. So, have you been here before?"

Sasuke smiled. "Ah. I'm really interested in old legends and folklore. Came down here to study the old Uchiha house. It's the one with th-"

"The huge oak doors and fancy carvings, right? Don't look so surprised, Sasuke. I'm psychic. Read it clear off of your head."

Naruto shook from contained laughter at the confused look on Sasuke's face. He finally burst out laughing.

"God, no. I lied. But seriously, that was pretty awesome, yeah?"

"If you say so." The black haired boy deadpanned.

Sasuke's order came in and the two boys delved into a nice companionable silence for a while.

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The two men burst forward from the diner feeling like everything was right with the world. Naruto beamed a smile at his new friend. The other boy was quiet at first, but proved to be a companion worthy of a shiny snark trophy. He had things to say of everyone as well as opinions to match. The other boy was now telling Naruto about some kind of story connected to the town. Presumably the same one that Mary told him earlier, it didn't matter. The dead had no hold greater than that of a good steak for Naruto. His mind was deep in the satisfaction at polishing off the huge slab of meat.

"…reason being I'm sort of a descendant of them. So, I was headed to the library for research. "

Naruto stumbled at the rather upsetting news. It was funny. Sasuke didn't look like he just announced his lineage to be from a serial killer.

"Wait, could you repeat the last part.", said Naruto.

Sasuke simply lifted an eyebrow and shrugged.

" I am not repeating myself. Take it as punishment for not listening."

"You just said you're related to a fricken' mass murderer, a mon-!"

"Then you were listening. It's not genetic. And _I_ don't have this terrible urge to crunch bones and make off with pretty pretty princesses or princes." Naruto wasn't sure if that was a glance at him or something in Sasuke's eye. "All that legend does is make me curious concerning my family history. I'm not even sure if we are related. We have the same family name and from what I know, my family came from Boston too."

Sasuke paused in the middle of his tirade. He turned to the left of him and headed down a stone pathway to another large house, obscured from the town's view. Stone lions prowled on the tops of the gate and the sound of children's laughter echoed off the building from somewhere behind it. Naruto followed with eager fast paced steps so he would come by Sasuke's side when they both saw it. It was difficult to say who saw it first, but the blonde was definitely the one to react more. Naruto's jaw dropped and he immediately bent down to shake the slim bare leg. Sasuke turned green and froze to the spot.

"He's cold. Sasuke, he's cold." The other teen continued to shake the boy's calf.

"You're getting your fingerprints on him. Just don't panic.", Sasuke stammered out. His lips just wouldn't cooperate. Naruto whipped around and stared down the stationary man. He had let go of the body and the leg crunched against a branch still half-bent in the air stiff from rigor mortis. "I'm going to get arrested. I'm going to get arrested and put into jail and be charged for the murder of a kid, aren't I? And there'll be no one to bail my ass out, cause dad's in Hawaii an on a trip and…" There was more, but Sasuke muffled the words when he pulled Naruto close to him in an awkward hug.

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Yes. Sasuke does move fast. Okay, reviews actually do affect the speed at which I write. Apparently I need to get guilt tripped before typing. Erm… I really want constructive criticism for this fic. Though lauds and accolades are also really appreciated Does it contain too many words that disrupt the voice of the story? Is it not descriptive enough? Too descriptive? Faster? Slower? More romance? More mystery? More gore and horror? More smut? Yes. I feel a little let down by my writing.


	3. Love Me Till the Knight

Pairings: SasuNaru

Rating: R

Beta-ed by Daitai Otonashii Ookami

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Sasuke's arms were nice, Naruto decided. They were unexpectedly strong, like they were corded with invisible strength around the frail avian bones. And if Naruto hadn't been shaken by the sudden turn of events, he might have been able to discern that fact. But the blonde stood, scenarios pulsating towards the front of his mind. Snippets of what he heard about jail flew through his mind, the grubby rooms, and a sharp needle all pricked at his consciousness. Naruto started taking deep breaths to calm himself from his duress.

'He smells kinda good.' Like the old books in the library, back in the middle rows where Naruto dreamt of clandestine meetings from lover and friend alike, like all the things and words from a long time ago Naruto couldn't have known how to express if he tried. Like all the things that this town fairly bubbled over with.

'Like…sex in the summer heat.' Naruto froze as that last thought registered in his mind and pants.

Sasuke started to mutter in the rapidly stiffening hug. "Hey, ugh…chill. They probably won't think you killed the kid and, well, I doubt they'll suspect you. People come onto crime scenes, freak and touch evidence all the time." The frantic sputtering had stopped and Sasuke gently pried the other boy from his arms. Naruto's eyes were focused now, a clear understanding blue.

"We can either pretend that nothing happened, or go report this to the sheriff. Of course, the sheriff's an old fart who couldn't distinguish between the dead body and us.(_1_) So, it's your call.", Sasuke said. His voice was cool liquid silk across the blonde's skin, but there was something off kilter about it. Just skirting the edges with butterfly scales. And that something would have looked to be a lot like desperation, if Naruto just had time to think.

"Uh…yeah. I guess we should just go. I mean, he won't use a finger prints kit or anything, right?" Worried the blonde.

Sasuke smirk was full of satisfaction. "No. I doubt that he even knows people have fingerprints. The law enforcement's pretty incompetent here. But, then again, the biggest crime is probably stolen dentures. Doesn't exactly need a crack team of specialized SWAT members in an armored truck for that." He drawled out as they rounded the curb.

Naruto looked back with a little apprehension. The body was gone. Surprise etched into his features and he caught Sasuke's hand in a panic to tell him about the corpse vanishing. Except, the second their palms touched, it no longer seemed unusual for the body to be gone.

"Is something wrong? We're almost there. The library is just past this bush." Muttered the other man. A leafy bush grew right across their path. One fine boned elegant hand let go of Naruto's finger to swat at the errant branches with his hand, revealing steps to the door. That hand held the door open to a surprisingly well-furnished library with plush seats and truth to be told, an actual crackling fireplace

"Woah. That's nothing like the outside."

"Yeah, well the librarians are kinda old and can't seem to find anyone to keep up the outside. And so, all of the little ladies obsessively sweep and dust everything in the place," Sasuke shrugged. "Follow me. I want to show you something. You are interested in the ghost story, right?"

Feigning nonchalance, the blond crossed his fingers behind his head. "Yeah, kinda. No offense, I mean I know it's your hobby or something. But, it's just that I'm only in this for a thrill."

"Only an idiot lays too little credit to thrills, Naruto. Sometimes I can't help but think the purpose of life is happiness and the pursuit of that pleasure," Sasuke said, his eyes smoldering at the end of the words so intensely that it seemed to burn holes into a book he held. "But then, I snap out of my hedonistic dreams when I have to report back to work."

"Work?" asked Naruto.

"It's just some simple job at the local store. Oh, but here's something that might interest you," Sasuke held a thin leather bound album. "It was taken from the house you're living in and donated to the library some time ago. There was a whole collection to sort through. Seems like one of the sisters was some sort of writer."

Sasuke flipped through the book, scanning for a page. Then stopped, pushing an acid yellow photograph toward Naruto. It glinted off the light and shined in bright pinks, reds and greens before settling to dark sepia.

"Sasuke! Did you see that picture just-." He found his voice faltering as Sasuke's hand lay on his for a moment longer than need be.

"You were saying something?" Soft pink cells of flesh drew back, convoluting down a pink staircase awaiting the astonished blonde's recognition. The scales of Sasuke's flesh stood out, came out and waltzed on his skin. The entire thing felt like a bad acid trip.

"Stop spacing out, man. You're annoying me," said the other man. The picture was thrust against Naruto's chest once more. It was a family photo of the four smiling siblings. Each one bore the same smiling visage, except for the man reclining on the center chair. Naruto guessed something hot had its way with his paper face.

"That guy in the center. He's the oldest brother, right? 'Cause he's in the middle?" The blonde asked.

"That's amazingly insightful. Didn't think you had it in you. But, yeah. He was the oldest of the Uchiha family. Someone had a nasty vendetta against him. Not surprising. I gathered from a few descriptions of him, that he was a man obsessed. It seems from other people's diaries that he was consumed with a desire to protect his siblings. An entire tragedy of scorned love played out on those books. It's surprising how much man entrusts flimsy paper…"

"Woah! Check this out. They have the entire _Uncanny X-men_(_2_) series. I haven't read those since I was twelve."

"Leaving a conversation delving into the psyche of man for a bit of teen fluff. Only you could be so uncultured."

"What say? Reading."

Sasuke groaned. "Just hand me one of those, idiot," he said, reaching across for a glossy comic.

"Read good," the blonde grunted.

The afternoon sun spun its last rays and set exhausted as the boys finally came out of the library. It was warm, sleepy and drowsy. The bushes, sky, Sasuke's face; all swam so from Naruto's after-reading eye hangover, that the blonde walked with his head down barely listening to Sasuke drone on. Sharp black stones crumbled so nicely against Naruto's feet. Each dissolving with just enough pressure so that it was satisfying, not frustrating, work. A sharp rap on the blonde skull efficiently pulled Naruto from his reverie.

"Huh, did ya say something?" Asked Naruto.

"Yeah. I asked you about how you felt about-. Never mind, I think you're a little too feeble minded for me to waste my breath on," said Sasuke.

"Yeah. Well, just because I'm not that on to your topic doesn't mean that I don't know anything. Hell, hit me with any sort of history question. I vegetate watching the History Channel."

"What does the Peace of Westphalia refer to?"

"Well, duh. The peace that occurred after war stopped in Westpha-okay. Listen, maybe telling you that I know everything about history is wrong. But, if you just ask me a question about the Punic wars, I'd probably be able to tell you something."

"I believe you'd be able to tell me that they're wars and they happened in Punic," was the sarcastic comeback.

"Well, I bet I can find an amazing piece of history down in your axe-wielding forefather's," Naruto smirked, lying through his teeth. "And all before you could."

The other man let out a groan.

"One, there's only been speculation that my family housed the murderer. Two, I highly doubt that you could. In fact, I think you just want to spend some time with me alone in the house," Sasuke's deep voice dropped just a few precious notes lower, driving a slow red blush to the blonde's cheeks. Naruto turned down the road awkwardly, too discomfited for words.

Finally, he managed to stutter out a retort that came out odd and stilted, dangling from the crisp air, shattered by the time it hit the ground. The black-haired smirked. And both blunt thumps of footsteps were the only sound that remained until they reached the house.

Naruto took the time to study his thoughts. His eyes drank in the oversized white shorts and blue t-shirt. The image raced through his bloodstream. It splashed against his brain and Naruto couldn't help but feel his heart race. The other man was odd. The other man was inexplicable. The other man had just said something that Naruto didn't hear.

"Yeah?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow coolly. "So you do admit to being an utter idiot without the sense to bow before a gifted history buff as myself…at least you admitted it. That gains you points, Naruto, points."

"And why the hell would I want your points, you-"

"So you can buy yourself a brain at the prize counter after saving enough of them. You seem to be missing one of those. Now come on." They paused in the middle of the living room.

The other man fit so well with the dust draped place. Naruto could here a click almost as if Sasuke was the last piece completing a puzzle. Or perhaps Naruto himself was the piece. Or maybe they were both pieces. Even the anachronistic clothing couldn't hold his figure to the present world; it clung to him as he melted. Thick viscous blue strands and white sticky spindles of thread tensed as the black-haired man shifted. Snapped. Sasuke seemed to step back into a photograph. Becoming one flat plane alongside the mahogany desks and chairs, beckoning to the blonde from inside a picture frame. Visible, but not tangible. And then the world deadened alongside him. The blonde glanced down, panicking because his clothes were melting just like Sasuke's. Hot and smothering, the sensation plummeted all around his spiked head.

But, as quick as it came, it went.

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(_1_)Yes, I am rather aware that if I had been writing realistically, there'd be a lot more police action. But trust me, this fits into the mystery… that hasn't been adequately portrayed. Mmmm. I've been focusing on the romance a bit more, but perhaps another clue might be good…

(_2_)Yeah. So. I like the X-men. I don't think it's teen fluff. Just needed a comic book.


	4. Turns to the Mourning Son

Pairings: Sasunaru

Reviews are loved, nurtured and released into the wild to procreate their little review hearts out…and then poached. Because I love them. 

Beta-ed by Daitai Otonashii Ookami

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Sasuke recovered first from the odd image.

"Whoa. Well, what are we waiting for?" the black haired man said.

"Oh, yeah. Erm…you know, I found something in one of the rooms yesterday. It was a piano, looked kinda cool..." Naruto shook his head, dispelling the odd trance. "Yeah…. Yeah. Looked really ancient, like one of those ones that would have secret compartments and…um, things. It's right down this hallway."

Naruto rambled on as they walked to the door.

"I was playing with it earlier, right? And suddenly, something crazy happened. My fingers kept playing even though I wanted to stop."

"Or maybe you're the one that's crazy."

"Yeah, I am. What with the line of odd murders and disappearances and psychotic axe murderers in my family. Oh, wait. It's you that has the serial killings and killers," Naruto smirked. "Just shut up and don't freak out when you can't keep you fingers off the keys."

"Won't be that hard, considering I can't play the piano. Ladies first," Sasuke held open the door for the blonde.

"Bastard," muttered Naruto as he went into the room.

The blonde approached the piano warily. Watching to make sure it didn't rise up and suck out his brain, he gingerly sank down on the bench and began to examine it for secreted letters, hidden compartments and/or soul eating creatures. Coming up empty, Naruto turned around to find the other man's ass swaying in the air as Sasuke was bending over the bed. Sasuke stood up, tugging something out from between the bed and the wall.

Naruto's mouth ran dry. "Ah, did you find anything?" he squeaked out.

"Yeah, a few papers. Looks like sheet music."

" A lot of good that'll do us. I can't read music."

"I can." Sasuke replied.

" I thought you said you couldn't play the piano, and I assume much less read the goddamn thing," accused the blonde.

With a saucy grin, Sasuke replied, "Yeah, it's called lying."

He placed the papers onto the stand on the piano and sat at one end of the piano bench. Naruto sank into the other. White, slender pianist fingers rested on the ivories before they began hesitantly plucking melody from its ink.

Big blue eyes widened when Naruto remembered the song. It was the one he played into a trance earlier. Sasuke paused before right at the point Naruto botched up. "Hmm…there's stain on this note. Looks pretty set in- Hey, Naruto are you okay? You're shaking."

Naruto watched as Sasuke's cool hand covered his own tanned one. He tried a shaky smile.

" I'm fine. Just…could you play a different song?"

"Okay. Here's another one. It's a three piece though, called Trois à Un." The boy removed his hand from Naruto's and hovered them over the piano for a second. Then, a wave of music ran through the blonde's body. Both of Sasuke's hands were a blur over the piano. Or maybe it was Naruto's eyes that were blurring.

It seemed like three melodies were playing out against each other. Two light, lyrical pieces, one stronger than the other. They were joined intermittently by a deeper string of notes. Something rich, but hesitant. All three raced up the blonde's head, running circles around his mind. He could feel himself drifting away from-

"No!" Naruto stood up, knocking Sasuke and piano chair back.

"Is something the matter?"

"Yeah. Yeah, how about we just go and explore other rooms?" The blonde offered a hand to Sasuke, pulling him up from the floor.

They walked back out into the living room with Sasuke giving him a few odd looks every once in a while. Thankfully, the song's haze of confusion was wearing off.

Naruto stumbled over a chair, because a door was calling him. It was beckoning, just not with flowing, aerial gestures. Instead, a door, secreted somewhere, pushed out its consciousness, going 'I'm here. You're here. Why the hell not?" And he couldn't help nodding in agreement.

'Yeah. Why the hell not…', Naruto thought, shoes already shuffling down the hallway.

"Are we off again?" Sasuke whispered into his ear. Shivering, the blonde nodded, focusing his mind solely on the lure again. There'd be time later to analyze the way his heart beat a little quicker from the hand next to his waist and the breath on his ear. And even more time to deny those facts. But now Naruto raked his eyes down the pink veined door. He twisted the knob and with a soft rasp from its hinges, the door opened. It opened into a dusty, dry room that smelled like papers, ink and age. Not surprising seeing that papers were virtually piled over all the flat surfaces. Letters were framed and pasted up on walls, sides of the dark mahogany desk, ceilings. They stood, locked, in a paper landslide.

Naruto lifted a framed photo from the desk.

"Hey, check this out." Both of the boys felt compelled to whisper, as if the smallest sound could disrupt all the piles and whip them into a paper maelstrom.

"What is it?" Sasuke whispered back.

"I think its another picture of that pink- haired girl in the family." Naruto said.

"You think?"

"Well, she's got her hair chopped up and she looks a hell of lot less…frilly. See?" Naruto passed the frame to Sasuke. "So, yeah. I think it might be her. What do you think?", said the blonde in a wry tone that wondered if the other man could think.

"I think we're probably in her room since this is her house…and that she looks better without all the lace."

"Yeah, well who asked for your opinion."

"You."

The blonde grumbled unreasonably. He flipped through a few papers. "Are you still staring at that thing?" Naruto grabbed the picture back.

"There's something between it and the frame," explained Sasuke. The blonde ran his fingers along the dusty picture and sure enough felt a bump. A small jagged bump. Gently, Naruto pried the picture from its frame. With the brittle paper half way out Naruto squeezed the thin metal frame. A key dropped down into his waiting hand.

Startled, he motioned to his partner. "Why do you always find everything? No, don't answer that. Just, what do you think this goes to?" He held up the small, plain key and watched Sasuke's eyes flicked from the key to the locks on the desk drawers. The light bronze coloring on it matched each of the four keyholes. Naruto caught the movement and started toward the desk. He tried three of the drawers but they were empty. The last lower-right hand one opened with a puff of dust moths.

Naruto coughed and waved the dust away from his face.

"Is everything in here supposed to vomit dust at us? This house can't be that fricken' old. Ugh, I got it in my lungs. I hope there's treasure in this damn cabinet for all this trouble," The blonde reached in.

"It's just a bunch of papers!" he exclaimed.

"Did you really think there would be gold in there, idiot? No, don't answer that I don't want to know"

With a snap, Naruto closed his mouth and glared. Hotly.

"Let's just find out what the papers say." Sasuke glided behind him to read over Naruto's shoulder. And, God, he glided. Suddenly, papers didn't seem so interesting now. Instead he focused on the broad chest behind him. The reddened lips that mouthed words about humanity and its curious way of supporting each other.

"And people, like a forest of many mighty trunks, boast their strength, their independence from their leafy bowers all the while ignoring the many roots clasped around each other that draw a peculiar fertilizer of strength, love and nutrients from each other." Recited Sasuke. Trees sprang up around him as he stood reading. Their rough bark swirled around Naruto so close that he could feel the wind shifting from their increasingly fast swirling.

"That is, until they are cut down. Then, having nothing to focus on but stump or root, they remember their youth and the first tentative touch of root upon root. And then they grow again, in stature and forgetfulness…" A thump sounded behind him.

----

Funny, Naruto couldn't remember the last time his bed felt so lumpy and hard. He thought he replaced that mattress a while back. And he never had those maroon curtains, certainly would never have chose that gold cord. In fact, he thought with a start, Naruto had never seen those curtains in his life.

A hand descended on his shoulder. "Are you awake now?"

Naruto turned to Sasuke, a question in his eyes.

"What happened?"

"You blacked out. I didn't want to leave you on the floor so I carried you here." The black haired man pushed off of the headboard and leaned in closer.

"But where's here?" asked Naruto.

" I don't know. I just poked around until I saw a room with what looks like your bags in them." Naruto cast a look around. Unfamiliar curtains, lamps and furniture greeted him.

"I didn't put my bags in here. I didn't really look at the place last time, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't this place. It's too dark."

"Well, maybe you just forgot." Sasuke helped the blonde prop himself up onto the headboard.

"No. Now, I'm sure this wasn't the place. We've got to-", said the blonde before he fell back onto the bed. The room was reeling about and his head felt oddly light. He stilled, waiting for the room to right itself before the blonde hesitantly stood up. Strong arms, decidedly stronger than they looked the last time Naruto glanced at them, wrapped around his waist steadying the blonde.

"Do you feel alright now?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm just a little light headed and dizzy. I'll be fine," said Naruto.

"How about we go get some dinner. Maybe you just fainted from going most of the day without food." Sasuke helped the blonde into his jacket.

Shrugging the orange coat on, Naruto said "I just don't think that I would faint from missing two meals. I mean, normal people wouldn't faint from missing two meals and I'm sure I'm stronger than the normal person."

The black haired man arched an eyebrow. "Well, do you want to get something to eat or not? Because, although I am not superhuman like someone else claims to be, I know I'm starved."

Naruto just groaned and pull the door open. "Come on, stop being a girl and lets get some grub." Sasuke glared and stalked out amidst Naruto's laughter.

Lost in a good mood, Naruto pulled out his key and made to lock the door. The complete oddness of it brought his mind back to the subject of those curious faints. It just didn't seem to make sense. Something was off and every time he attempted to puzzle it out, something banished it to the back of his memory.

The road walked under their feet as Naruto continued to think in silence. He still felt strange, lightheaded, weak. That last laughing spell left him panting a little.

'Maybe I'm sick,' thought the blonde. 'There could be something in this town. But, Sasuke would have caught it by now too... right?' Puzzled, Naruto studied the other boy. The way sloe eyes tracked the sky, not minding the rocky road, leaving sneakered feet to walk a familiar walk. 'Oh, that must be it. Sasuke's been here before. Lots of times. He's gotta be immune by now, I guess.' Naruto nodded.

"Hey, Sasuke, how long have you been visiting your grandparents?"

"Uh…" Sasuke turned with a smile. "Since I was young. Why?"

"Do you remember any people ever coming here to stay for a while?"

"Ah, there was a few that dropped in to visit relatives or stayed the night in," Sasuke replied.

"Did they get sick or anything before leaving?" asked Naruto

"No. Why? Do you think you're sick? Because fainting since you're too scatterbrained to remember food is not a symptom of any disease I know. Just forget about it and eat."

Sasuke laughed him off, steering the blonde into the diner. The two sat down, smiling, immobilized in time.

---

Hmm…took down even more of the purple prose. Is this a good change, a bad change or can you tell if it's a change at all?

As always, much love, thanks for reading and please review.


	5. Twisting Love Locks

Pairings: SasuNaru

Disclaimers: Don't own.

Un-betaed

---

"…and you should have seen the look on his face. Oh, god. It was so precious!" , Roared the blonde between laughter and sprays of the mashed potatoes he was eating.

"Oh, sorry.", he muttered, noticing the food scraps clinging to Sasuke's T-shirt. Looked like he'd get another lecture about table manners if not an outright dismissal. But, Sasuke just brushed the crumbs away matter-of-factly, indicating with a nod for Naruto to go on with his story. This gesture surprised the blonde, which he awarded with a brilliant albeit potato laden smile before moving on.

"Yeah, well…. That was really the only good part. Bastard wouldn't talk to me for weeks." He grumbled, smoothing the mash on his plate. "Was a good prank though, right?"

" Yes. I'm sure. Would-" The shuffling gait of Mary's interrupted Sasuke next words. She raised her pad of paper up and smiled at the two of them, green eyes a twinkle. But, something was off.

"Would you boys like something else? Dessert?" She looked happy. Except, Naruto could have sworn her eyes were blue. And told her so.

"Ah…" Mary covered one eye, looking around the table quickly. "I had contacts in that night. Colored ones. I know, old maid and all. But, there's just a romantic at heart in me that keeps me in believing Prince Charming will stroll in here looking for a biscuit one day."

"Oh. Well, you've just got to keep believing, I guess." , Naruto blushed and mumbled, taking a large finishing bite from his steak so as not to have to make another comment on love. Especially with how odd he'd felt around the other boy the past week. All that observing before was troubling to say the least.

"So, do you feel up to dessert?" Like noticing how Sasuke's lips licked themselves after asking a question.

Naruto snapped his head back up to Sasuke's eyes.

"Uh, yeah." The blonde turned to Mary. "I'll have a slice of apple pie with ice cream."

"I will too." Sasuke seconded. And Mary limped back to the kitchen on her two mismatched legs with their order.

By the time dessert arrived, Naruto didn't feel that strong about his choice anymore. A glance at Sasuke showed that he was still delicately licking the vanilla ice cream from his plump lips. Nope, kind of regretted that choice, really. At least, part of him was. The pie was good, though. Nice and warm in the center with cool dribbles of ice dream trailing down slightly parted lips-.

Sick. The blonde was definitely sick. He'd never checked out men this much before. And, there wasn't anything special about Sasuke. The other man hadn't been the first to throw him a bit of friendship, so this wasn't any sort of grateful love. It certainly couldn't be lust. He didn't feel that way about men. Or could it be just Sasuke that brought tingles down his spine.

Crust flew everywhere when Naruto slammed his fork down. He had to go. Now. Before his mind could convince him of anything else. Before he noticed anything. Before he did anything. With a shrug, Naruto slid on his jacket.

"I'm full. Going to go home now. Bye." Sasuke barely had time to look up before the door swung close and Naruto was hurrying back home.

With the brightly lit orphanage behind him, everything was pitch dark again. A formless sky against a formless earth. Puffs of dusty talcum powder dirt whooshed up before and behind him, not that Naruto could see it. He did feel the lingering cool traces of wind and dust brush against his ankles as he walked, though. Shivering a little, the blonde drew his orange jacket around him. This night felt like a time before creation. And, he was frightened to the core by the primitiveness. An inchoate world where dark fluids congealed.

And so, the welcoming figure of his house came as a relief to blue eyes. It almost shined out through the shadows, its form being the only distinguishable one. Except Naruto was sure his mind was projecting that brilliance. Not that it mattered. The only important thing now was getting inside to the relative safety of his chosen room.

Naruto fumbled with his key in the dark, managing at last to wedge it into the keyhole. Tripping over furniture, the blond flipped the switch. The light bulbs pulsed a weak, sickly light, making everything unfamiliar. Although, he considered it lucky that they damned things hadn't burnt out yet.

Too tired to carry his bags back down into the room Naruto was sure he'd picked, the man opted to climb up the stairs. That run had taken more out of him than he thought.

The blonde flopped onto that maroon bed, expecting to escape his day's confusion, all pale and wispy. Didn't want to touch it yet. But, the nightmares hadn't stopped. Naruto turned and tossed into an troubling slumber. In his dreams, the blonde found himself awake under the red covers of the bed.

Except, here the morning sun was breaking through the windows. And the sheets were pressed all too intimately to his body. Suddenly, Naruto arched back into feather like touches brushing against his back. They found their way to his front, dancing off the ridge of his collar-bone and down. Phantom hands caressed his sides, dipping between his legs.

Reaching down with a jolt, Naruto stopped them from going any further. He grabbed both of them. While the blonde held the still petting hands, they materialized a form. The hands weren't overtly masculine nor feminine. They weren't soft or hard but were slightly pretty. No calluses. They were overly large. And each knuckle was clearly outlines. The only distinguishing mark was a small mole right in the junction between thumb and index finger.

And they were still going at petting him. Running feather light caressed against the back of his own tanned mitts.

Naruto sighed, deciding to enjoy the moment, letting them free reign. He didn't mind an extra pair of hands. No matter how odd it seemed. God knows how often he'd wished for extra hands in activities like this. They pushed and jerked. Building him up to a panting, tight edge. The blonde panted, breaths coming through so frequently and unexpectedly they were like the endings of a lover's kiss. The walls were closing in on him now.

He had to arch his body, more into the hands touch. And they...they let him tumble down into white-hot completion. Feelings so intense that when the blonde woke trembling, he could only sink back in the comforter, too bone-lessly exhausted for anything else.

He'd never felt so tired after that before. Naruto's mind spaced out, coming up with blank thoughts. Oh, the blonde had to get up soon though. Naruto could feel his seed cooling and drying into an itchy mess over his legs. He was only going to close his eyes for a moment, though. Before getting to the problem.

Soothing blackness greeted him. For the rest of the night, the blonde's sleep was dreamless. And in the morning he woke, scratching at the dried passionate remains. The curtains were drawn, so he had the leisure of coming to consciousness in parts. Stretching first. Feeling out how sleepy he was versus how much his bladder protested. His bladder won out.

And it was there at the toilet that it hit him. The mole, the size, the texture. Sasuke's hands were in his dreams. Well, he'd never be able to look at his hands again. Or maybe he could convince the other man to wear gloves. At the very least, he wouldn't be able to see Sasuke for a while without blushing. And that meant that Naruto would not be able to go to the diner for breakfast, seeing as Sasuke might be there.

It was fine. He had a few ramen packets and saw a stove in the kitchen. Could probably stack up some firewood and make his own breakfast. Naruto finished up in the bathroom and walked downstairs to the kitchen. He passed Sakura's door on the way down.

'Might as well have another look in there today, too.' Naruto thought. It'd be something to do at least.

An air of misuse and grime hung around all the utensils. Pots and pans weren't caked with dust; they were lacquered with it. It was enough to drive any urban dweller out screaming for the nearest diner where if they didn't see the dirt, they could pretend it wasn't there. Naruto had lived in foster homes before this one. He got straight to work. Twisting the tap on, the blonde was rewarded with a ready stream of water. He quickly filled a pot, only to see the fireplace unlit.

Striking a match Naruto had found in the counter, he kindled a fire the best that he could. Eventually roaring flames were warming the pot swinging merrily atop it.

The blonde hurried back upstairs to find his supplies. That red room was still dim and gloomy with its heavy curtains down. Naruto wondered, between shaking out packets of ramen from his pack, if it would look more like the room from his dreams with the curtains drawn back. Somehow, he doubted it.

'Chicken, beef or oriental.', mused Naruto as he put back the spicy stuff. Chili just didn't go over well in the mornings.

'I think oriental. Mornings call for subtle taste. Light flavors.' Pleased with his choice, he headed back down to find the pot boiling. Naruto dumped both noodles and taste packet in at once. This way the noodles would be able to soak up the soup's flavor while softening.

Watching the soup boil, Naruto hopped from foot to foot. Finally, he pulled a bowl set aside earlier and tipped the pot's steamy contents into it. He set it down before sitting down at the table himself. The blonde stared into the steam. This, this was familiar. Naruto thought about home for the first time in the while. It felt like ages since he'd last seen the familiar figures of Iruka and Kakashi.

Tears threatened to brim over, but the blonde couldn't figure out why he was so sentimental. It shook him. It rattled him. It hit him. He couldn't remember their faces.

It had only been a week, but when the blonde tried to recall their images and he came up with hazy masses of brown and silver hair. When he thought of anyone, anyone from his past, only the barest of details came across. Like he'd been away too long. But, it didn't matter either way. Naruto would seem them again soon. After break was over.

Cheered by the thoughts of his homecoming, the blonde finished his soup and rinsed out the utensils. Two weeks. He could worry about them in two weeks. But, for now, there was exploring to do and Naruto to do it.

Bowl and forks put away, the blonde ran up the stairs. He needed to bury himself into doing something before boredom caught up. Coming to a screeching halt beside Sakura's door, he studied the whorls in the wood before pushing it open. Everything looked just like he left it. Sunlight poured in from an open window. There was nothing scary about this house at all, and Naruto chalked yesterday up to nerves from meeting someone new.

He rustled through the same papers, pausing to examine them a little more intensely. They read the same as yesterday. Next, the blonde peered along the crack formed by wall and desk. Bingo. Slowly dislodging it, Naruto fished out a slim leather bound volume.

It had no title emblazoned on it, mused the boy as he turned it over. The leather was stiff and crackly from years of not being oiled. Inside were many white pages filled with the curly handwriting of that era. Naruto could hardly read the damn thing for all the loops and dances each letter did. It gave him a headache making out the first two lines.

'Diary. Sakura Uchiha.', the blonde managed after some time. 'Whoa. Now, this is a find. Can't wait to rub it in Sasuke's face.' he thought slipping it back atop the desk. Naruto would find time later when he wasn't this excited to make out the curled words.

After a morning whiled away with books, papers and one strange pearled necklace, which Naruto played with as he rolled around the bed, the blonde found himself bored. Bored enough to forget all promises about never setting foot out of the house under pain of complete embarrassment. Certainly bored enough to find someone out there to play with.

Putting the necklace back in its case, Naruto brushed an errant cobweb away, ignoring inches of cakes dust on his back, and locked up. Now, the problem was, who to play with? Sasuke was still out. No matter how woefully bored the blonde may be, he still didn't want to face the other boy.

The orphanage shone out briefly as the sun rose over it. Perfect. With a light morning breeze in contrast to a hot spring sun, the walk over was actually rather pleasant. Flowers were blooming already. Bright pink, yellow and orange ones. Naruto wondered if they ever found out about that dead boy he and Sasuke found. They had to have, right? He and Sasuke just left the kid lying there out in the open where anyone could stumble across him. And those chicks in the library would have to see him.

Except, no one said anything. At the diner everyone else acted normal. Hell, he had acted normal. Well, relatively normal.

And what was odder yet was that when the blonde arrived at the orphanage things were fine as well. Naruto waylaid a little boy and asked him about the kid. Shaking his head, the little boy mumbled that he didn't remember anyone who looked like that. That no one had gone away since that day Johnny fell off the roof, because Johnny was that only one gone and that was to a hospital and would Mister please let go of him because Cindy was making faces behind his back, he just knew it!

Releasing the hyperactive brat into his wild habitat, Naruto grew slightly anxious. And then he squashed those feeling by running up to join a game of football.

The kids were glad enough for an extra player, even though Naruto made the teams uneven. They simply shifted some weaker players onto one side. It was actually fun, rolling in the grass, play tackling the kids and they accepted him a hell of a lot more than any of the people Naruto's age. The blonde brushed grass from his hair after one energetic dive, which was still going on judging from the munchkins gnawing on his legs.

"Is there room for another player?" That voice rang out and Naruto froze. The children took their chance and leapt pushing him to the ground.

--

Hope you enjoyed. And if you did enjoy, please review. If you didn't, please review. If it passed you by, review.

As always, ribbons and pearls.

Moonlit.


	6. Around His Beau

Pairings: SasuNaru

Disclaimers: Don't own.

Unbeta-ed.

---

"Yeah, it'll make the teams all even. Everyone back to their original places. Naruto stays with Leo. Sasuke goes to Karen.", yelled one of the boys from wrestling Naruto to the ground. Sasuke watched him coolly before reaching out and tugging the blonde out of the fray.

"Let's go then, kids.", he said staring straight at Naruto. Naruto knew what that look meant. And he was fine with it. It was just the taunting jibe between friends in a competition. Nothing more. They released hands, each running to their respective teams already mid huddle.

Popping up for a last minute quick sweep of spies, the children hurried the blonde into their huddle.

"Listen, Karen's not gonna be the quarterback for sure. So-"

"Yeah, she can't throw.", giggled a boy near Naruto." Once the energetic boy who threw that out got glared into submission, Leo continued.

"So, they're probably gonna go with Sasuke. Because he's tall. Tracy, you and Yuli will run interception." He turned to Naruto suddenly. "And you'll tackle him. Make it a real distraction. Let's go.", Leo said waving them onto the field before the blonde could protest.

Before he knew it, the play started with Karen moving to the back in quarterback position. Naruto turned to Leo.

"Now what?", he mouthed.

The boy nodded, utterly too serious for a friendly football game, and motioned for him to complete their play.

"You can take her.", he mouthed. Naruto nodded, pointedly ignoring the crouching Sasuke, relieved that he didn't have to touch Sasuke yet.

As soon as the ball left the ground, Sasuke jumped the blonde, pinning him in a move that Naruto wasn't sure was professional. Especially not for someone playing the receiver.At least he thought that was what the taller man was. Other than sexy of course.

Naruto was interrupted in hyperventilating over his last thought by the dark-haired man picking them both up with a over energetic tug that brought the Naruto pressed up tight against his body. The blonde quickly stepped away cheeks aflame.

"Alright?", asked Sasuke trying to peer into Naruto's face. He covered his red cheeks and nodded. "I think the second down, play or whatever they call it is starting. Let's go."

"Ah, that's right. Sasuke doesn't know how to play football. That explains it.", thought the blonde running to catch up with the other man, intent on explaining the rules before Naruto got tackled again.

"Sasuke-", the blonde started.

"Naruto, get in position. Ready? Hike.", Leo shouted. The ball sailed through the air before Sasuke pounced on Naruto's midsection this time.

"Uff."

"Are you okay?", Sasuke asked again. Shifting his body off the blonde in a way that made their lower halves brush a little too intimately. So intimately in fact that Naruto's lower half started waving a fond goodbye to Sasuke's.

"Yeah.", he replied, standing and brushing the grass off. Sasuke's hands joined his in cleaning, skimming along the blonde's legs and stomach.

"Good. I think its time for us to crush your team to the ground again.", Sasuke smirked while standing up to go. Hastily, Naruto grabbed his shirt before the other man had a chance to leave.

"Erm, Sasuke. I don't think you're supposed to crash into me like that. Being one of the receivers and all.", explained the blonde, waving vaguely in the air.

Sasuke paused for a minute. He turned back with one eyebrow quirked.

"I don't know, Naruto. It seems to be working. I'll see you on the field." And ran off. Naruto shook his head and went back as well, taking care to position himself as far away from Sasuke as possible.

The next play was the last one for the day, so it actually didn't matter where the blonde went. One of the orphanage workers called them in for lunch, leaving only Naruto and Sasuke in the field.

"Well, I guess we're done.", Naruto ventured. Sasuke simply shrugged. The silent man turned and walked to the main road.

"Aren't you coming?", asked Sasuke.

"For what?"

"Lunch. Here, I treat you since you lost so badly.", he smirked, continuing to walk. Naruto ran to catch up. Still panting, the blonde slung an arm across Sasuke's shoulders.

"You're sick. Making me run after playing football."

"Suck it up. Some exercise will do you good."

Naruto groaned, inwardly plotting to get Sasuke back at the diner. Hopefully they had ramen. Or maybe some sort of soup noodle that he could imagine was ramen. The poor bastard wouldn't now what hit him. Actually, the blonde had a craving for something not from the diner. They'd frequented it so often. Plus, old people had to have another restaurant somewhere, seeing as they couldn't cook from themselves.

"Hey, Sasuke.", Naruto turned into Sasuke's close face. "Is there anywhere else to eat besides that diner."

The other man blanched. "First, turn your head to the other side before you speak. I don't want another whiff of your charming rancid breath. And, no there aren't any other places, oddly enough. Guess people here were part of the home cooking generation.", he shrugged.

They passed through the town and soon the diner's familiar colors came to sight. Sasuke held the door for Naruto and the blonde choose a table. Mary bounced up to meet them the minute the two men were seated.

The woman looked younger today. Naruto noticed streaks of brown in her hair that he swore weren't there before. She beamed in an utterly inappropriate way for middle-aged women, looking as if cotton candy wouldn't be out of place smeared on her chin.

'She probably got some last night.', Naruto thought. After placing his order for a bowl chicken broth with egg noodle soup, the blonde whispered his theory to Sasuke. And Sasuke delivered a nice thump on his sunny locks in response.

"That's just sick.", the other man sighed. Naruto shrugged him off. No other way to explain it. And besides, the egg noodles weren't that bad. He could go for another bowl or three.

"Is your food-", Sasuke started.

"Another bowl please.", interrupted Naruto, holding out his bowl to the waiting Mary. Sasuke's eyes widened just the tiniest bit.

"She just put it down.", the other main said astonished.

Naruto shrugged.

"You are paying, right?", the blonde asked. Sasuke simply nodded as another bowl was slid across to Naruto. Sasuke still stared at him as the he slurped a single strand up. Naruto caught Sasuke's eye after sucking his meal in, lips still poised in a pucker.

The blonde quickly looked away. "I like noodles", he stuttered. "There's just something about them that allows me to eat more." Naruto pointed his fork at Sasuke's chicken dish. In an effort to change the subject to anything that would drive Sasuke's eyes away from his red face, the blonde asked about the other man's meal.

"It's good.", he shrugged, scooping more chicken onto his fork. Relieved, Naruto followed his actions and bite into another mouthful of noodles.

One, more, empty bowl later the boys called for their bill. The waitress came out, handing the boys a grimy slab of wood. Pieces of dirt crumbled off of it in Naruto's hands. It was caked with that black gray gunk only time could produce. 'The kind of stuff that you think was dirty, aged, stepped-on bubblegum except it comes off too easy.', the blonde thought.

She smiled woodenly, grabbing it back before either boy could do more than gawk at the plank. The hinges in her wrist creaked. She swung her body toward the kitchen, unraveling skin at both ends into a smooth mannequin. The temperature plummeted and suddenly Naruto's skin felt two times too tight.

All the other waitresses were coming apart too, eyes popping out and off as the supple flesh they were set in disintegrated away. Their eyes made horrible clicks and clanks across the floor. One rolled to Naruto's feet; he mechanically picked it up and discovered it was glass.

The blonde looked to the diners then. And found them missing. Underneath the unvarnished tables were piles of dust mingled with dropped bones. Some little. Some big. All an acid yellow with horrible holes shot through their middles and knobby ends.

Sasuke grabbed his hand. Naruto looked up at the other man's alarmed face as creaks and groans filled the air.

He placed his free hand on the strong white one holding his.

"What's happening?", the blonde whispered. And then whispered it again, louder, urgently when Sasuke only looked around, bewildered.

The diner's wooden frame threatened the two boys with creaks again. "We have to get out of here", Sasuke yelled over a particularly loud crack, running and pulling Naruto along as planks and beams fell around them. The lintel and a large piece of the surrounding wall came crashing down on Naruto's head as they scurried out from the dust. It knocked him senseless but dissipated in a cloud of dust instead of trapping them. Throughout all of this, Sasuke kept pulling. Reaching and grabbing handfuls of his orange jacket hand over hand.

The night air shocked their systems. Sasuke kept running to escape the dust cloud mushrooming over the diner's remains. And he kept pulling the dazed blonde beside him. The cloud rolled across the land, folding over and over until it folded over into itself and vanished.

Naruto blinked. "Is it finished?", he whimpered groggily, pushing up against the other man's shoulder. "My head still hurts…think I'm gonna puke if it isn't. "

"Sh.." Sasuke hushed the blonde. He whipped his head around. Naruto did the same. And wished he didn't as his view blended into a nauseating whorl of grays and blacks. And he felt weaker. So drained. White hands slapped his mind back into himself. His mind still felt weary, but the blonde's body was better.

Until he lurched forward and dry heaved above the ground. God what was with him and throwing up. Every single time.

"You've felt this before?" Sasuke's clear voice stopped the string of babble from Naruto's mouth abruptly. And then his question started it back on.

"Yeah. In the house. It was real bad when I was fiddling with the piano. Blacked out over the toilet. And that time when you were reading. Oh, I think those bowls of noodles want out."

To his credit, Sasuke waited until Naruto stopped heaving in the bushes before walking away.

"Let's go then.", the other man beckoned.

"Go where? What for?", asked Naruto.

"Look around you. Something's definitely wrong and the only link we have is that house. It's better to get the confrontation over with, if there is to be a confrontation."

Naruto did look around and his "what for" became apparent. The diner, the library, all the little houses and the general store were gone. Only the Uchiha house and the orphanage remained in a sea of sand. The two structures rose up, spiraling complexities in the dunes.

It would be pure exaggeration to say that Naruto didn't recognize the orphanage without children crawling over it, but it did make quite difference. For instance, it made the whole place a hell of a lot creepier because the blonde couldn't tell if all the kids had melted like the waitresses or if something worse involving severed limbs and crunchy bones were involved in the mix.

The two men got closer and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. The children were shut inside the house. A few were screaming but nothing seemed to be hurting them. Directing the other man's attention toward the kids, Naruto tugged on Sasuke's sleeve.

"What is it?", Sasuke said.

"Shouldn't we help them?"

Dark eyes assessed the situation. "No, they seem safe enough."

"But that house is one of the only things still standing. Shouldn't we check it out too. I mean, it's ever bit as suspicious as your grand parents house." Naruto argued. The faces he saw in the window too frightened to let be.

Sasuke continued walking. Then stopped. And sighed, doubling back into the orphanage.

"I forgot that you could make sense sometimes.", he muttered. Naruto's wanted to push the bastard over, but he decided against it. There were kids in need of rescuing or something. And he could always do it later.

It didn't take long to backtrack. Naruto peered into one of the large lower windows as Sasuke tried the door. One of the children saw the blonde and pulled another toward the window. Soon all the kids were clustered around the glass shouting futilely to Naruto. The blonde mouthed that he was getting help. He pulled at the window. Jammed tight.

Hurrying to the next one, Naruto found it jammed or locked or something. The next was jammed.

One of the children slammed the lock back and forth futilely. Their chubby hands gripping beneath the sill and helping Naruto pull. It was a series of run and pull for a while. The blonde sprinting toward the next window followed by gaggles of children behind the glass.

Without warning, shrieks filled the air. Rounding the corner, Naruto found Sasuke with a window propped up in one hand. All the children's cries, buried beneath sheets of wood and glass, tipped out into the air scraping the blonde's eardrums and raising the hairs on his hand.

Visibly flustered by the sound, Sasuke gestured for Naruto to go in.

The blonde crept into the window unable to fight off the creep and tingle of déjà vu. It seemed Sasuke was always the one that opened doors. The one to guide Naruto through. But that was normal because he was the one who had been here longer. He knew things the blonde didn't. That much was obvious.

--And that wraps up another chapter. Reviews are always appreciated. They're nice little bundles of muse-power which get me through writing chapters. And as much as I hate when an author withholds chapters until they reviews, I will admit that reviewing will get the chapter written faster.

Feedback is muchly appreciated. If there's something you didn't like, tell me and I'll improve. If there's something you liked, tell me and I'll elaborate on it. And if there's something missing, well, I can't put something in there that I don't know is gone.

Oh, and to football fans...I think I slaughtered your sport a little. I apologize for any mistakes I made with the terms...rules...actions.

As always, loves from Moonlit.


	7. And Sighs A Cry

Pairings: Still Saunaru

Disclaimer: Not mine

Unbeta-ed.

----

"Oh my god, what happened out there?"

"The town's gone! The whole town."

"What did they do out there? What happened?"

"Why?"

Each child sounded up in exclamations.

' They sounded so grown up before, but it's easy now to see that they're just kids.', Naruto thought, forcing his way through the crowd with Sasuke at his rear.

Inside the house nothing seemed out of place. Well. Not out of place for a dwelling decorated a la bargain bin style. A cut green glass lamp illuminated one corner of the room. At the other side a fish covered lampshade spun around in circles while bathing the room in blue light. Boys and girls who weren't peering out the window or crying on the floor were flung around squishy but dumpy furniture.

"Everything's fine to me. Anything seem weird to you?"

Sasuke shrugged in reply. One freckled boy came up to them from his place at the windowsill.

"There's no grownups around. After nap or quiet time we came downstairs looking but couldn't find anybody. Then Kim tried to open a window except she couldn't get it up. And all the big boys couldn't get it up either so it really was stuck. All the doors were stuck.", he whispered.

Sasuke and Naruto shared a look. Sasuke pulled the kid closer.

"Did you see anything? Anything happen after this?" He whispered into the kid's ear, nearly banging his chin into the boy's wildly waving head.

"No.", said the kid, drawing it out for all that the no was worth. "Could you let me down now?"

The other man released his hold and he spun back into the group.

"It looks like they'll be okay if they stay here." He offered with a shrug. Naruto tugged his lip into his mouth, worrying it between his teeth.

"If you're sure."

" I am. Let's go we've wasted enough time here." Sasuke steered Naruto to the door. They left with for the children to not come outside. The walk to the house was quiet. Both men kept a lookout.

To every direction stretched a vast wasteland. Grey sand shifted over the tops of their sneakers. The plain like quality made it easy to spot any would be attackers since there was no other place to hide except behind the house or in the sand. And Naruto didn't think that it would be in the sand. He didn't think it would be anything but an it either because Sasuke seemed sure it was house-related and an it.

They made their way to the door. It's inlaid wooden cravings looked much more profound at half-light. A cloudy billow tipped the edges of each panel. Or maybe they were fans. The blonde stared at them endeavoring to crack the code hidden in each swell. It looked normal. It looked like the fancy carving stuff that modern psuedo-baroque furniture.

"Are you gonna let us in or stare at it all night.", Sasuke groaned.

The blonde relaxed, descending from a high he didn't know he was climbing up to.

"Alright. Alright. Don't get your panties in a twist." Fishing the key out of his pocket, Naruto let them in.

The house was empty. They both let out breaths neither knew they were holding.

"Ehehe. I guess things were okay in here?", the blonde laughed out. It strung up high and tight above them like little discordant bells ringing insanely.

Sasuke stared back. "It's upstairs." He breathed.

The staircase ran long and swirling above them. Each step felt twisted. Each rise distorted. Soon they found themselves outside a door. The door Naruto exited from into this new place that wasn't quite like the old one, where Sasuke, though still eerily attractive, didn't have this raw fear to him and children laughed and waitresses served.

"Open it." Sasuke whispered. Maybe the door whispered too. Naruto rested one hand on the knob, then the other one, ready to slam it shut on the ghoulie within. Sasuke placed his hand over Naruto's too. The knob turned. And the room-

The room looked exactly as the blonde had left it. Crimson sheet crumpled half over the bed. Cellophane wrappers scattered over the floor.

"What the hell?", he screamed. "It's exactly as I left it. There's nothing here." In a fit of fury he threw the sheets to the ground and kicked the bed.

Naruto whirled around to face the other man.

"What are we supposed to do now, huh? Where the hell is that goddamn monster that we're supposed to fight? Fricken' hell, how is everything suppose to get normal if there's nothing to do. I can't fucking-"

They both fainted this time.

1:47 tomorrow. The clock read 1:47 am. It was still dark outside, thought Naruto from his bed. The dirty crimson colors pooling around him as his tired blue eyes squinted outside.

He was upset. Waking for no obvious reason didn't set well with the tired blonde. He wiggled around experimentally, testing if his bladder was the problem.

Naruto was broken out of his stupor by footsteps downstairs.

'Yesterday!' Yesterday flooded back. The town was gone. Now Sasuke was gone. He crashed into the windowsill, clawing frantically at the curtains. Red sheets fluttered down, torn across in places.

The town was back.

Thump.

The footsteps were still there too. Panic rushed into his soul, big and ferocious. It felt like another person slipped into his skin, making him want to jump out of it. Tear it from his soul and throw at it the intruder shouting 'There, have it' before flouncing off.

The blonde grabbed an ornamental candlestick off one of the shelves of brick-a-brack. It was a moon-glazed milky gold between piles of papers, palettes and little tarnished bells. The grimy bits were effectually covered although he could feel its texture change. Excellent. More grip for the hitting.

With weapon in hand, Naruto made his way downstairs. The shadows of chairs, much more menacing than their originators, arched over him. It, whatever it could be, squeaked a door open. The footsteps sounded sharper now. Echoing across the living room.

There was the loudest, piercing-est chime of dripping. He looked up and around at the ceiling for water somewhere.

And then came a loud flush.

"Sasuke?", Naruto ventured, unsure of who else would be drop in to use his toilet.

A sleek head of hair and bits of rumpled clothing, highlighted by the moon, grumbled sleepily at him. Sasuke pushed past the blonde. Naruto followed him up the staircase.

"Sasuke, did you look outside yet?"

"Uuh, leave me alone. 'S too early to be looking out windows. I'm just not running at full strength today." Yawing loudly, he stretched him arms out. Naruto caught the other man's wrist. He held it above their heads as a hostage.

"Sasuke, I think you need to have a look outside." And with that, the blonde dragged back the steps, tugging when needed to jumpstart Sasuke's dilatory pace. He took them to the door.

Sasuke glared hotly at him before he gave the door a push. The same barren white sand swirled around their feet and stretched out miles wide into a low flat line disrupted only by the orphanage.

He slammed the door shut, resting him palm on it for a few second later with a look in his eye that could only be interpreted as a 'Now what, genius?' type of glare.

'But, it couldn't-', Naruto rambled. He wrenched the door open in confusion and stared outside.

He shouted out across the sands. "I swear, everything was all back to normal! I know it was. It wasn't like this, this…" The blonde let out a bloodcurdling screech.

The sands throbbed across themselves, rolling in waves of heat. Dark red liquid oozed from between sifting plates of sand. The viscous wave lapped up to Naruto who stumbled into Sasuke. Sasuke's knee hit the furniture, causing them to come crashing down.

Trying to keep himself from the congealing red mass, the blonde scrambled away on his hands and knees. Sasuke stood up and grabbed Naruto. His face was a contrast of shocked, vibrant eyes and ashen skin.

Naruto pushed Sasuke off of him, kicking at the tide. The white tips of his shoes stained red.

He woke in a ditch. The blonde brought his hands to his eyes, kneading the sleep out of them. Moisture smeared across his face and he swiped at it with a pink tongue. Pausing, he snaps the flavoring around.

He brings his arms in front of him. Screams shake the car. Naruto slams his red, opened arms against a twisted metal frame and staggered back when he realized it was his car.

"Ohgodohgodohgod', was the mantra that fell from his lips. He threaded his fingers through the matted blonde locks and held them out because he felt bits of his flesh parting painlessly from one of his head wounds. The pink clump squished underneath his fingers.

Naruto ran screaming, head first into the largest glass shard of his windshield. The edge cleaved his open skull. He blacked out.

And woke again next to Sasuke on the dusty floorboards of the old Uchiha house. The blonde brought shaking fingers to his head, chest, shoulders. And then he searched Sasuke for any signs of death, cementing himself to the other man's side because he was warm. Just lukewarm but still life-warm.

Dark eyes slid open. "Mmm…are you alright?"

Naruto curled on top of the other man's chest, ear cupped to listen to his heartbeat. Sasuke leaned forward on his elbows and the blonde tumbled down to his lap where he shuddered, reliving the nightmare.

"Hey, get up. You are scaring me." Sasuke shifted so he could get a hold of Naruto and lifted him up to sit on his lap as easily as if Naruto was a child.

The blonde shook his head. His body felt too large all of the sudden like the illusion took a piece of Naruto out of himself. And he felt all odd and hollow inside that part.

"Did you have a dream too?" He asked the other man. Sasuke shook his head disbelievingly.

"You don't mean to tell me all of this is over a dream? Just a dream?", he scoffed, pushing Naruto off onto the floor.

The blonde stood up, affronted, over the still seated Sasuke. 'What do you mean just a dream? It sure as hell isn't about just a dream. I'd think that after going over what we've been through tonight-", Naruto scowled.

"What have we've been through tonight? The walk? Did the walk in the dark scare you?"

"Of course it scared me. And I damn well know that it scared you too. Don't try pretending to be the tough guy in this situation, it's not gonna work. I saw you shiver when that waitress dissolve." Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at the raving man.

"So, did the waitress dissolve between handing you your leftovers or was it after we paid the bill." Naruto closed his fingers discovering a plastic bag with a carton of what smelled and felt like half a bowl of his chicken soup.

He brought it close up to his face. He didn't remember needing another bowl for takeout and said so. Sasuke just shrugged his shoulders, saying that the blonde did look out of it. He'd just taken the dazed look for him thinking about eating the next bowl.

Hands shaking, he whispered, "But I don't even remember coming home. All I do remember is this terrible night where all the towns disappeared and the kids were safe but I was dead in a car accident."

Naruto looked up to a confused Sasuke.

"You don't remember anything. But, but, why are we on the floor then. Yeah, I came downstairs and you were using the bathroom. Then… this red time came into the doorway and the next thing I knew. Well, I was dead.", he said.

Sasuke thought for a moment before slowly talking. "It all sounds pretty fantastical to me, and I've been reading fairy tales and legends for some time. You know the sudden scene changes makes it sound like you were dreaming. I mean, we did lay around for a while after eating. It was probably the comforting fullness of you stomach that lulled you sleep." He explained casually enough.

"Huh." The blonde said.

-----

So, that's the next chapter. Yeah. Guys, please review. It's nice to know that you like this story enough to put it on alert, but informal little message about "--- having placed your ---- story on their alert list" isn't as warm anf friendly as reviews. Hell, I don't mind if the review is two words and those words are "you" and "suck". Just, please, it would be nice to know that the world hasn't died out there.

EDIT: OKay. You're amazing out there. I think I've gotten more reveiws for this chapter than when this fic. first came out! Love you out there.

Oh. And if you like what I write, then check out my original fiction journal at: http://ookami-dono . insanejournal . com/ without spaces.


	8. Since This is the Finish

SasuNaru

Unbetaed

---

"Would it make you feel better if we went upstairs?" Sasuke stared at the distraught young man. At least, he felt distraught. Gave off waves of distress from the slump of his shoulders and the listlessness of his eyes as Naruto continued staring at the soup container.

"No. Why would it make me feel better if we went upstairs? I'd just be confused and upstairs then instead of confused and down here."

Sasuke gave a roll of his eyes.

"Because upstairs is a little room, an attic, where people threw all the most disturbing things found in the house." He explained. "You know. Secret things like gossip and stories that would probably captivate your profound thoughts and get your mind off of whatever's happening to it. Come on, I used to beg my grandparents to go in there."

"No. No. I want to go to sleep." Naruto rose and headed upstairs. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sasuke. No hard feelings about not getting to go up tonight?"

Sasuke looked like he wanted to argue but closed his mouth and decided against it.

"Yeah. We can check it later. Tomorrow. I guess." The other man walked up the steps behind the blonde.

The bed was plush and welcomingly disarrayed. Naruto just fell into it, snuggling into the nest of blankets while Sasuke watched, amused, from the doorway before joining him on the bed.

Something moved over him. Naruto looked back and watched Sasuke pull the covers over his shoulders.

"You sleep like a kid." The low laugh in Sasuke's words warmed the blonde. Sasuke was near his face when he said them and his hot breath ghosted pleasantly across the blonde's forehead. And when Naruto looked up, Sasuke was so close that he could taste the warmth he emitted. It tasted like the first sip of hot cocoa on a snowy winter night and spread through his body like it too.

Sasuke shifted and brought himself closer. He tucked his legs underneath him, now looming over Naruto even though he was scant inches above the blonde. Sasuke licked his lips.

Naruto sighed and the breath touched the other man's lips. They parted.

The night was loudly silent, humming between themselves, around themselves. It was cold and strummed notes throbbed through the sky. All prior confusion muddled the blonde's mind so that all he could think was a hurtful pounding at his temple and the heat rolling off Sasuke.

Sasuke cupped the blonde's face.

Naruto closed his eyes. _His_ lips parted automatically this time.

"I'm going to kiss you." Sasuke ghosted the words over Naruto's lips. He smelled like dust and big and solid.

"What?"

Soft. Warm. Insistent. It was a dry kiss that lasted too few seconds. And all Naruto could remember afterwards was the dry glide of silk on petals.

"Well. I'll see you tomorrow then." Sasuke pulled back unfazed like he was used to kissing boys good night, which Naruto hoped he wasn't in a fit of jealousy. The blankets rustled noisily between the silence.

"Bye.", the blonde whispered. He held his cheek where somewhere in the kissing Sasuke had touched. It tingled still. Blushing, Naruto fell back in bed suppressing the urge to scream.

His head hurt, but he just wouldn't think about all the confusing parts, opting to revel on the matter of Sasuke's kiss and the ensuing giddiness.

Long after Sasuke was gone, Naruto crept under the covers looking for sleep. Except, the bed turned lumpy and cold underneath him. Halfway into the night, Naruto folded back the covers and reached for his bulky cell phone. Thanks to the poor signal strength, all he could use it for was as a clock. And he could sure use a heart to heart chat right now.

The phone said it was late. Screw it. He might as well give up and get something done. The sheets crinkled underneath him as the blonde got up, raking in bed head into place. And yelped. His dirty clothes pile wound around Naruto's feet, assisting him in meeting the floor. Pain blossomed from his forehead and ankle.

"Ow! Damn it." The blonde rubbed at his foot. It had caught and slid on the smooth surface of a book. The diary of the Sakura who Sasuke thought was pretty or something. Picking it up, Naruto settled against the bed with it in his hands. He flipped through it.

There were maybe thirty entries. About the span of two months if she was at it everyday. Looking at the dates, Naruto found it was about three months.

It began in the middle of April with the weather painstakingly noted on each entry.

I am sad today, but that is no way to begin a diary entry. I want to, am obligated to, but won't talk about the latest dress fashion from England. Instead, this entry will be devoted to my brother. May his indifference live long…

After a few more paragraphs of caustic sarcasm, Sakura finally continued her record.

…_maddened by my touch. Today at Breakfast, he knocked the pitcher over when Obito reached for his arm. And upset the milk bottle by the door to avoid Ino who was coming in after her daily walk. He won't talk to me. Or when he does, he grumbles about over sensitivity. And I can't help but think…maybe he is finally tired of supporting three, younger siblings who lay in unproductive creativity. I don't know what to do with him. _

The hours past and so did the diary's pages. It was good that he had given up on sleep that night, because the night was about to give up itself into day as well.

May, 25.

_I'm starting to grow jealous of all the time brother spends with Ino. After a proper time, and I write proper with the nastiest of voices, may it be read so as such, he rushes to help Ino with her latest opus. And it isn't like we others don't need help. Obito agrees and commiserates with me. All night we hear the strains of piano music coming from Ino's room. And when Obito bothered brother about it, brother smiled and said Ino needs to complete her work before she gets sick. While it is true that Ino's been getting wane and paler, I just can't help but be upset. It's only natural. It's only instinctual. Speaking of _

_illness, there's an odd disease or murder going around…_

_June 18, _

_…she's growing sicker. It's an odd feel on life to be glad, worried and guilty at the same time. Ino's always sleeping now and if her manuscript weren't set to be finished soon, I'd tear her away for a vacation. As a result, brother has been taking more interest in my work…_

…_Three more bodies have been found. All the people were teens poised to become great. The coroner declared that it wasn't a disease, at least no disease he'd ever heard of. The police suspect manslaughter, but their families all hold to an exotic virus. Apparently the murders began with days of fatigue. It's silly, but as I'm writing now, I amuse myself by thinking this diary may be discovered later on as a clue to some great epidemic. _

As the days flew by her writing became shakier. Words were missing in sentences and once or twice the words dragged off into a line of ink as if she'd fallen asleep writing. Naruto closed the book and stared down. His cell phone said it was already five in the morning. And then it was nine with the morning sunlight edging its way behind the heavy curtains and loud knocks and yells at the door.

"Naruto! Answer the door.", the blonde scrambled down the stairs, still in the clothes he slept in and opened the door.

Sasuke paused in mid yell before schooling his expression back into bored arrogance.

"Sorry. I thought you were still sleeping." He took in the crumpled clothes, marks on the blonde's face from the sheets and fist rubbing its way into Naruto's eye with an amused smile that broke his previous cockiness. "And it looks like you were. We'll get breakfast first and explore later."

The blonde's stomach rumbled its assent and he agreed with it. Sasuke just shook his head, slumping against the doorjamb.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go. I'm starved.", said Naruto. Sasuke swung forward took a few steps then stopped and looked back.

"Nice fashion statement, Naruto."

The spring breeze rippled through the blonde's nightshirt.

"I just thought I'd bring some whimsy into this old town.", Naruto smirked.

"Just get dressed." And a few decibels lower an affectionate, "Idiot."

The blonde turned to leave.

"Wait."

Walking fast, Sasuke grabbed his elbow. And pressed his lips to Naruto.

They stood for second, but the dawning revelation had all the warmth of the creation of life bursting over earth. Naruto stepped back, looking warily at the other man.

'So, last night won't get swept under a rug or something?' , looked Naruto.

"Go and get dressed.", Sasuke said, his eyes yelling back 'No' all the way. And the blonde, only after intense studying of that 'no' for any cracks or breaks, turned back inside to shrug into a light orange sweatshirt and jeans.

They relaxed a little over coffee when the duo got to town. Naruto fiddled with his cruller, wishing it were Sasuke's hand. He took a bite and wiped the buttermilk crumbs from his lips. Sasuke stared from the chair across from him, a donut and cup of coffee at his hands.

"So…", the blonde started.

Sasuke nodded in a show for him to continue, making Naruto search for something to say. He couldn't leave things hanging. They had a relationship to build.

"I…um…" He fumbled for conversation. Naruto would have had something except Sasuke kept looking over and licking the coffee from his lips and slowly sinking his teeth into that donut, leaving bits of clear glaze over his lips. And, oh, Sasuke would probably look the same way if that glaze was Naruto's-

"I found this diary yesterday!", blurted out the blonde. Sasuke swallowed his bite of donut with a gulp of coffee.

"Well, whose was it?", he asked, wiping the glaze on a napkin.

"Erm…it was."

Sasuke had finished off by licking the sugar off his fingers.

"Sakura. The chick that owned the room we went through yesterday. Found it in there too. She thinks that a disease did the murders. Hey, looks like you might not be a serial killer after all."

"That's interesting. Even though there's probably no relation between my family and theirs. And the jury has already been out on this one. Said it was a murder. Too many clues for it not to be, but not enough to incriminate anyone."

The last crumbs were wiped from Sasuke's lips and the last dregs of coffee drained. He shot a look at the blonde who was sitting done for a while now.

"You ready to go?" Sasuke asked.

Eyeing the jelly donut glistening in the show window, Naruto is patted his stomach ruefully. Too full to fit anything.

The blonde sighed. "Mmm…done. Maybe we could stop back in for lunch. Anyway, what are we going to do today?"

"Donuts for lunch? Ugh. Why don't you just hook the fat and sugar straight to your veins. Oh, but you couldn't get the red lake and toxic dies then, huh." He shook his head at Naruto. "Anyways…we're going to be looking at that attic room that you wouldn't explore last night."

"Aw, come on. The house again." Put-upon sigh. " Man I'm getting tired of poking through that old thing. Especially after last night. And today. It's like all we ever talk about."

Sasuke held the clear glass door for the blonde. As the other man passed, Sasuke breathed into the pink ear poking through Naruto's blonde hair.

"You promised me." Each moist puff of breath behind the vowels in that sentence tickled the nape of Naruto's neck if it could have reached it. But it couldn't so that delicious sensuality residing in the blonde's mind was the only thing tickling his neck.

Naruto shivered, still unsure why Sasuke affected him to that extent. He wanted to say love or lust, but it appeared without the affection shrouded in both. Maybe hunger would fit. The same way a snake's flickering tongue looked on nature shows as it set to swallow a mouse whole. Tongue winding around it in a warped rocking caress. The slow penetration of sharp fangs into a soft warm body. The act of devouring embodied some sexuality given its graphic carnality.

Of course, Naruto couldn't go with Sasuke after that display and told him so. Not in so many words, and with no mention of the threatening look in Sasuke's eyes.

"I just, you know, want to explore something else today."

Sasuke loomed up, menacingly, causing the blonde to falter and step a few paces back.

Naruto raised up his hands in defense. "Man, Sasuke. It's like you're crazy or something."

"Crazy? I just feel very passionate about my work. I think if one had a life passion, one should be able to feel crazy about it." The other man shot back. Black eyes glinting.

Naruto glanced around the street. It was deserted as far as he knew, with no one in sight in case Sasuke threw a fit. Except, the blonde had his fill of fits and settled for shrugging it off.

"Fine, fine." Naruto muttered, thinking to rest his hand on Sasuke's back, but pulling back to shove his hands in his pockets. "We'll go indulge your obsession."

The word must have caught something deep in the other man, because Sasuke paused, mid-step.

"I really am acting a little obsessed?" He brought up a hand to brush through his black bangs.

"Yeah." The blonde finally got to pet Sasuke's arm till he pulled away. "Sasuke?"

"Do you know, Naruto, I could use a little breather today."

The look in his eyes held onto Naruto's blue ones and pulled then along with him as Sasuke turned away. Naruto may have needed, and took, a breather yesterday, but he couldn't let the other man go now. Some pestering instinct screamed for him to keep Sasuke.

That just scared him enough to chase the other man away with shaky, tanned hands.

---

I think there's a chapter or two left in this, guys. If you spot something off in the chapters- misspelled words, grammatical errors, plot holes- notify me in a review.

Besides, reviews are like the love juice that keeps the gears between my imagination and fingers all greased up and popping out these bad babies.

Ask me what that just meant and I'd have to tell you I have no clue.

Either way...

love and whips, moonlit flower.


	9. Applied to the Hart

Pairings: Still Sasunaru. A little bif of a squicked out other pairing, but it's briefly mentioned.

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Unbeta-ed

Reviews: Still willing to trade them for my lifeblood.

--

The sun was blue. The bluebirds chirped. Sunlight frolicked on the air as if they were full up on happiness. And sweet little old ladies configured their rocking chairs into a little circle to sew one big quilt.

Naruto waved to the ladies, smiling as they waved back.

This place was like going down an ingredient list for how to make the heartland of America. All it needed was a baseball field made entirely of apple pie.

'What was the name of it again?', the blonde asked himself. He remembered passing a sign- a green sign with white lettering. One of those "Welcome to-" signs. Well, he could always ask the grannies sewing on that porch. Or he could just go along in his quest to find somewhere secluded to think.

The search it was. After all, the grannies might stop to do something unthinkably horrid. Pinching his cheeks off came to mind and the blonde scurried along.

Naruto skimmed a hand along the green, wavy blades of grass next to the road. Mindful of the light tugs which cautioned at slim cuts or welts if he slipped too quickly. The threat of pains gave the blonde tingles. Tingles that he wouldn't acknowledge. They gave him images of men tumbling in grass, of a leather scented air and sharp cracks. Images he would shake out of his head.

Naruto looked at the grass, trying to force innocence into them.

They waved in a light spring breeze and looked wild enough that it didn't seem likely people usually came here.

Perfect.

The blonde stepped off the path, slapping the longer weeds, which brushed at his groin. His skin crawled for a second at the thought of bugs creeping under, along and through the grass until Naruto reminded himself he didn't mind and liked bugs and, well, was a man.

Walking along, the blonde discovered a sweet little rock that had the grass pressed down all around it. Judging by the height of that rock and the indentations in the grass, it looked like someone had been using the spot for a table. Naruto skimmed his hand along the top, looking for wet patches. And, alright, bugs. Little wiggly critters were creepy even if he was a man.

Finding none, the blonde rolled onto the rock and rolled right off to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Pain blossomed from his shoulder blades. And he propped himself up on his elbows to decrease the pressure of them only to find that the grass indentations matched his body pretty damn well.

"Freaky." Naruto whispered, unable to quite break the tranquility. While the grass waved overhead, Naruto lay in a world surrounded by the long-sought silence only to not think. He couldn't have. See, there was so much- too much- silence and the blonde wound up staring off.

Feeling rather than thinking.

Fear, unadulterated anxiety flooded through his body, past the filters of logic. The bits of his brain that told him everything was fine, that there wasn't any physical justification for feeling fear shut up while his mind turned off. Closing his eyes didn't help either. His gut knew something was off here. Now if it could only tell him what.

Except guts didn't talk. They were guts. What the hell was he thinking about?

Naruto cut off his thoughts at that point, disgusted. There was little point dissolving into senseless chatter. Instead, he could bring up more pleasant things. An image of Sasuke floated through the blonde's mind. After all, the blonde was supposed to be sorting out his feelings for Sasuke.

But his cheeks tinged pink and the back of his neck grew uncomfortably warm just thinking. It felt as if Sasuke had a window into his mind and was evaluating every thought that passed.

Naruto got up to go home. Hell, he'd think about this later. Crap. The blonde stood still above the grass, blue eyes glazing out. This wasn't right. He had to stay and think past all the sugar coating.

"Sugar coating?" , he whispered. Dissecting the words with his tongue. Tasting all the separate parts. He liked it.

Then laughed, leaving the grassy plain for the town. God, he was starting to sound ridiculously like a supermarket paperback. Next thing he'd knew he'd be shouting Romeo and Juliet lines at that girl he always tried to pick up back in high school. That guy, actually. Naruto had never liked girls. And try as he might, the blonde couldn't figure out how that thought got in that he thought girls were pretty. Maybe he had once a long time ago. A long, long time ago.

His sneakers turned down the lane toward the house. His house now, might as well think of it. Then their steps sped up as his heart began to race. Before long Naruto was racing home in a cloud of dust, taking shortcuts through leaves and bushes that brushed against his cheeks, chests, thighs, that melded into green blurs while he wrote the world about his liveliness with his shoes.

And finally, finally the blonde arrived at what was fast becoming a too familiar sight. The house, its slated roof, towering doors, loomed ahead. He saw it highlighted against the landscape. Not knowing what was so important about it, not really caring anymore, Naruto slammed the door open. A latent curiosity bubbled up, but it was more of feeling obligated to be surprised than anything else.

Foyer, piano, staircase. Up the stairs, down the hall, to the door. He pawed at the dark, grainy wood. Relishing its texture. Then, snapped open the door only to see a smaller staircase. Into the room was darkness until Naruto's eyes adjusted. Then vague shapes began to form. Scattered music sheets and an overturned book lay across the desk. And a covered painting took up the rear. There was a smaller portrait facing away from the closed window.

Crinkle.

The blonde stepped on a piece of music. He bent to lift it up, brushing the cobwebs off in the same motion. The notes littered across the page, ranging from low to high. A scatter of lows bridged each switch from middle to high or highs to middle notes. Naruto threw the sheet down on top of the desk and began scrambling for the title sheet to that song. He found it and held it, shaking, in his hands. It may have been his hands that were shaking, though the blonde felt enough emotion in those words that he wouldn't be surprised if they themselves moved.

Beautifully cut out in a sort of flopping sprawl across the paper was simply "Ménage a Trois." The words had little meaning to him, but Naruto was fixated on the penmanship. The hand that wrote this was weak, since the thread of ink was spider web fine in some places. Yet, it looped and scurried across the page madly.

The blonde picked up the book next. It was bound in familiar rose-embroidered leather. The first diary entry wasn't dated. The entry wasn't even centered or spaced out. It was a block of text with handwriting just as crazed and delicate as the heading on the song piece. Random bits of words were capitalized and jutting out from their lines, jagged at the top almost like music notes.

"_..hes onLy time for him now…with Him wish hEd take… mE… brother tAke me…cAme laTe laTe niGht ecsTasy… made me weak",_ was the best the Naruto could make out. And to tell the truth, he didn't want to know what was written on that paper anymore. The sick twisting way of those words shook him enough to put the book down and walk away.

Next in line came the painting. It was mounted on a stand and reached from his waist to his chin. The gilt edges peeked out invitingly, but the blonde's hands still shook as he peeled back the cover. He was burned by the entry and was shy now.

Pink splotches revealed themselves first. Pink and peach and gentle colors without any indication of alarming blood reds or unearthly blues. The continuation of gentle peaches made Naruto a little bolder. He swept the rest of the sheet off. Laying it to rest on the dark wooden floor.

And what he saw made him gasp. It made him blush and it made him look away a little, but look back.

Three writhing figures were painted across the canvas. Their faces weren't shown, but there was no mistaking the way their bodies intertwined. The painting showed a blonde woman kneeling, on a bed, between the thighs of another woman. Her face was hidden in the pink haze between the other woman's thighs.

A man draped himself along the top of the painting. He was engaged in a heated lip lock with the other woman. But no matter how passionate a story the two spelled with their lips, their eyes were turned in childlike adoration outward into the real world.

Dark swathes of black flanked the sides of the painting. And a disembodied hand was reaching out from the middle in mid-caress as if the viewer were about to slip into the act themselves and cup the scene in their palm. Cradling and raising innocent debauchery.

The room suddenly grew stuffy and Naruto pulled at the collar of his T-shirt. He was going to cover the painting. The blonde pulled at his collar again, intent on getting some fresh air. Thankfully, a cool breeze blew against his body; setting his racing nerves steady once more.

He bent to pick up the sheet then froze. The wind was cool from the night air and it felt good against the blonde's skin. It felt refreshing and would have felt perfect if only the blonde could remember ever opening the attic's only window.

Half-stooped over, too scared to move, Naruto watched as the wind moved purposefully to the table, rifling through the scattered music sheet. The papers swirled and uncovered the edges of a framed photograph. Naruto made to pick it up, but dropped it back onto the desk, as if it had burned him, where it lay face up and smirking at him through near half a century of time or maybe a few hours ago.

And if he were any body else, any other cool somebody else, he would've broke through the movie cliché of shock-horror to move because this is the part when the monsters come barreling through. But Naruto wasn't cool enough, watched too many movies, and was still gaping at the picture when Sasuke touched down in the attic.

At which point he finally whirled back, letting out a strangled cry.

"You're…you're not supposed to be here.", The blonde said in a more controlled voice. One that wasn't prone to shaking and being strangled.

"I'm not?" Sasuke asked. "What makes you so sure?"

He walked passed Naruto to pick up the picture the blonde dropped. Still gazing at the picture, he spoke to Naruto. "I don't expect you to fall for the whole coincidental family resemblance. You didn't the first time, but then again, I wouldn't put it past you to grow dumber each time."

"What do you mean each time?"

Sasuke but smiled and whispered. "I wouldn't hurt you. Never. Not when I swore it. Naruto, I swear it. You never believe me, dumbass, but I swear it."

He set the picture down and turned toward the blonde, but Naruto gave an angry scream.

"No! I don't want you to get any closer to me. Not without telling me what the hell you mean about each time and hurting me and never believing you!"

But, despite his words, the blonde stepped closer to the other man. Close enough to reach out and touch. Sasuke cupped Naruto's face, sliding his palm down the curve of his neck.

Their lips met and he kissed slowly, achingly, watching the world melt away.

--

Sorry for the wait, folks. Kinda had a emotional family situation going on. Charged atmosphere and wot not really conducive to the writing process.

And then I got into another fandom for a while.

But, no matter what and when, I will be continuing this piece to the end. And I'll always be a SasuNaru shipper. So, reviews please. It can be a simple "That wasn't a pile of cat excretements vomited up by a snot-nosed three year old after he's been dead for three days." I'll take that and treasure it!

There should be enough plot left for one more chapter. So, we're rounding the corner! And if anyone's deciphering the chapter titles, they really only make sense in a vague homophonic, far flung sort of way.

Love always, Moonlit.


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